Assembled are faculty/staff of The Center for Public Health and Health Policy Research (CPHHPR), the SBU Graduate Program in Public Health, SBUMC, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the Suffolk County Minority Health Action Coalition, Literacy Suffolk, and other community members, during a fall 2008 planning meeting.

STONY BROOK, N.Y., February 23, 2009 – The Center for Public Health and Health Policy Research (CPHHPR) at Stony Brook University, in collaboration with Literacy Suffolk, received a $100,000 two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to work with communities throughout Suffolk County to promote a better understanding of health disparities and community health needs, as well as increase health literacy. CPHHPR and Literacy Suffolk are the only grant awardees on Long Island for a program that is part of a NIH Public Trust Initiative.

The CPHHPR/Literacy Suffolk endeavor provides communities with a means through education and research to uncover its most important health needs. This community health partnership is titled Community Alliance for Research Empowering Social Change (CARES). CARES is part of a larger NIH Public Trust Initiative launched in 2007. The mission of this national initiative is to improve the health of communities through public understanding of health care research, as well as the promotion of collaboration between scientists and community organizations.

CARES will consist of a diverse team of Stony Brook University and regional health and social researchers, community based organizations, and community members working together to improve minority health and eliminate racial/ethnic health disparities. The main goals of CARES are to develop effective strategies and interventions that address the underlying causes of health disparities and health illiteracy, including social and economic conditions, as well as to build the infrastructure for community-based participatory research by training community members in research methods.

“No one understands a community or the challenges it faces better than those who live there,” says Melody S. Goodman, Ph.D., Director of CPHHPR at Stony Brook. “Therefore it is vital for researchers and communities to work together to identify and address the underlying causes of health inequalities in our region.

“Issues such as gang violence and teen pregnancy greatly impact the social and physical health of certain communities,” explains Dr. Goodman. “Additionally, the incidence of hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and certain forms of cancer are significantly higher in African-Americans than other groups, and there needs to be a strategic plan in specific communities to address these health disparities.”

"CARES is an opportunity for many Suffolk County communities, as the program provides needed tools for positive change. Ultimately, CARES will help level the playing field in health for those often underserved and taken for granted," says Gini Booth, Executive Director of Literacy Suffolk.

The CARES training will incorporate community-based participatory research approaches as tools to increase community awareness, improve minority health outcomes, and drive social change. The trainings will cover a range of topics including research methods, community health planning and implementation, health communication, cultural competency and health literacy.

Suffolk County residents who identify significant health or social problems, such as lack of access to cancer screening, a growing incidence of HIV/AIDS, or increased gang violence, may be eligible to participate in a 10-week training program as CARES Fellows. Collaborative projects between CARES Fellows and Stony Brook University researchers will further address the problems and explore solutions to them.

In addition to the CPHHPR and Literacy Suffolk, the CARES initiative is being developed through the strategic alliances of the Stony Brook University Graduate Program in Public Health, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, and the Suffolk County Minority Health Action Coalition. For more information about CARES and to receive a CARES training application, please contact the CPHHPR at Stony Brook University at (631) 444-1625 or cphhpr@gmail.com.

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